A Jungle Kiss
by mistyisbae
Summary: "What I mean to say is, what did I ever do to deserve you helping me?" What did he? To deserve? He doesn't know. He really doesn't know! The real question was why he cared so much about why she cared about him! A Shortaki TJM one-shot


Helga sat on the jungle floor, looking up through the thick leaves as rain poured down. She and Arnold had somehow gotten separated from Phoebe and Gerald on their quest to find Arnold's parents, so here they were lost in the middle of the jungle with  
no clue what to do next.

Not to mention Helga had hurt her leg, just perfect.

She wasn't as concerned with her injury as she was for Arnold's, he got a nasty gash on his arm that she bandaged with her bow. Soon afterwards Arnold noticed her limping and demanded they stop and rest. If there was something Helga Pataki didn't do,  
was stop, so she did what any 10 year old girl stuck in a jungle would do: scheme. She had to figure out a way out of this mess, but it was difficult with the way Arnold was looking at her. Wait, why was Arnold looking at her?

"Something on my face paste-for-brains?"

Great job Helga, insult him, remind him how he's stuck in the middle of the jungle with the worst person he could be stuck with!

"No, I uh, was just wondering if you're feeling ok."

Ok, he's not angry, just try to avoid anymore talking, less she act like a bully or a basket case.

"Don't worry your pure Samaritan heart over me, Football Head. I'll be fine in no time, Patakis are quick healers."

"Oh, ok. Good."

There's complete silence, all except for the rain hitting the leaves. There was no telling what was thicker, the tension or the humidity.

"Look, Helga, I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me."

"Did you hit that football head of yours? What I've done is get you stuck in this jungle nightmare, why on earth would you thank me?"

"Because, you're helping me try to find my parents, that's more than enough to thank you."

"Yeah well look how well that's going."

"It doesn't matter how well it's going right now, what matters is that you're helping me, you've always been helping me."

She was afraid of this. Was he going to bring up FTI? She hoped not.

"Yeah, and how's that?"

"Well, your video for the contest, for starters."

Ok good, not FTI, just the video for the contest- that she used tapes upon tapes of footage she accumulated over years she spent stalking him. FTI sounds great, actually, they should talk about that!

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, you spent all that time and effort to make that video, showing how I've helped people. But it just doesn't make any sense."

Huh?

"Huh?"

"What I mean is, everyone in the video talked about me helping them, except you. But, you put it all together, so I guess what I'm trying to say, or ask I guess, is why?"

"Why?"

"Yeah, I just don't get it, why you've been helping me all this time, it just doesn't make sense."

Criminey, is this FTI 2.0? Sure they both chalked up the confession to not meaning anything, but come on! Well, since he wants a sincere answer...

"I don't know what you're talking about, Football Head. So I did a good thing? I'm not completely heartless."

"I know that, Helga."

Uh-oh, he's giving her that look, the one that makes her senses go wacky.

"What I mean to say is, what did I ever do to deserve you helping me?"

What did he? To deserve? He doesn't know. He really doesn't know! Well of course not, it's only something Helga and Dr. Bliss know and that was the way it was going to stay. But, here was Arnold, looking like he had no rhyme or reason for why Helga Pataki  
cared about him. The real question was why he cared so much about why she cared about him!

"Look, I've told you, I don't completely hate you, so I helped!"

Please stop asking, just drop this, what she wouldn't give for a straw and paper right now so she could just shut him up with some spitballs.

"But why?"

He looked even more determined, she wasn't going to get away from this interrogation. Might as well try to appeal to his conscience.

"Look, Arnold, it's personal, so I'd rather not say."

"But when will you?"

"What?"

"I'm tired Helga! I'm tired of you acting like you don't care and when I try to talk to you for real you just close yourself off. You care about me? Then please just tell me why!"

"Because you liked my bow!"

Great, she's going to sound like such a basket case.

"Your- bow?"

Almost instinctively Arnold found his hand grazing against the pink fabric Helga had bandaged his wound with. But when did he-?

And then it came back to him.

"It was the first day of pre-school. Bob and Miriam were being dazzled by Olga tickling the ivories so I walked to school. It was a crappy, rainy day, I got covered in mud and a dog stole my lunch. I felt completely miserable and then all of sudden, this  
kid with this football shaped head holds his umbrella over me and says that I have a nice bow and he likes it cause-"

"It's pink like your pants."

"You remember?"

"Yeah, I mean I think I sort of forgot until now."

"Well, later that day Harold stole my crackers."

"Oh yeah!"

"Hey! You wanted me to tell the story, so don't interrupt!

Arnold gave a quick sorry but was still smiling. What a moron, what a yutz, what a complete buffoon. And yet...

"A-anyways, you gave me yours but then everyone made fun of me so I knocked Harold over and jumped on his gut."

"Why was everyone making fun of you?"

"Hey, you asked what you did to help me and I told you! Sorry bucko, but one story is all you get!"

"I guess that's fair."

There's that tension again. Oh well, at least the interrogation with Shortman is over.

"So everything you've done for me, was because I told you I liked your bow."

She knew he wouldn't get it. Oh well, it's the middle of the night in the middle of the jungle and her leg might be broken. They've got time to kill.

"I know, it's a dumb reason, but it meant a lot to me. It was the first time anyone was nice to me- the first time anyone noticed me. You helped me Arnold, just like everyone else you know. It wasn't anything big like reuniting a family or saving a neighborhood,  
but- it was big for me."

There was that look again. It didn't help that if she didn't know any better he was also getting closer. Wait, he was! Did that mean- is he going to-

Snap.

"Arnold? You out there man?"

"Gerald?"

"Yeah! Thank goodness! Phoebe and I have been looking everywhere for you two!"

"Oh, well uh, here we are!"

Real smooth, Shortman.

"I suppose this means we will be making use of this space for the evening. Gerald would you mind helping with setting up the tents?"

"Sure thing, babe."

"Hey Johanssen! You better have good intentions if you're making the moves on my best friend!"

"HELGA!"

"Sheesh, it's a joke people, we've been in the jungle for days now, I can't be the only one starving for entertainment."

"Very funny, Helga. Alright Gerald, let's fashion the tents together."

"I swear that Pataki is no good at all!"

Before either Helga or Phoebe could rebuttal, Arnold had come to her defense.

"She's good, Gerald. After all, she's been helping us this whole time."

"Yeah yeah I know. Like she said, we need some jokes to lighten the mood."

"Hey, I'm all for jokes as long as they don't attack me too much."

"Fair enough, same goes for me though."

"Alright, Tall-Hair Boy, it's a deal."

Gerald and Phoebe went to set up the tents, the previous tension rising again.

"I better go help them."

"Yeah yeah, do your civic duty, I'll just be here."

"Oh um, but first,"

Without warning, Arnold leaned down and caught Helga's lips with his own. She let out a small surprised "eep" but soon closed her eyes and returned the kiss.

"That's uh, what I wanted to do before we got interrupted. Figured I should go through with it. Anyways, I have my civic duty to attend to."

He winked at her and sort of jumped into his run. Helga felt her fingers touching where his lips has been. HIS LIPS! ARNOLD'S! ARNOLD'S LIPS HAD TOUCHED HER LIPS! The heat she was feeling was most definitely not from the humidity and heck, she'd build  
a treehouse for her and Arnold to live in out here if it meant he'd kiss her again!

She looked back up at the sky and smiled. Maybe being stuck in the jungle wasn't so bad after all.


End file.
